


What did you say?

by vaderina



Series: Prompt Fills [26]
Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: M/M, Protective Newt, Rude Aurors, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-03
Updated: 2018-08-03
Packaged: 2019-06-21 07:41:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15552885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vaderina/pseuds/vaderina
Summary: Newt and Percival are keeping their relationship quiet. Nobody can figure out why when they're bitching about their boss Newt looks ready to kill. (The vague prompt was: an auror who just got disciplined comes back to their desk near Newt's and they're saying does boss even have anyone and Newt getting a nervous and not s w e a t i n g and then the auror keeps complaining and turns to see Newt like 'imma kill you' and it shocks them but in the next blink Newt's back to his sweet smiling self. auror is hella confused and strangely anxious.)





	What did you say?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [gudetama (elementary)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/elementary/gifts).



> This is for every amazing person on the Gramander Discord group chat. Such wonderful ideas and supportive people.

Positives in life could only be appreciated if there were negatives to compare it to. That was a theory Newt stuck to anyway. He and Percival had been quietly dating for some time and it was always a marvel to hear the idiots in the office talk about their boss. For a while Newt could tolerate it but every man had a breaking point and he was just about reaching his.

At the beginning it was almost funny. He sat at an empty desk with the aurors and quietly worked to fill out the report that would mean the freshly rescued unicorn could legally remain in his case under his care. One of the junior aurors flounced out of Percival’s office, report clutched in hand. She flung herself dramatically into her chair and let the report slide across the table in disgust.

“Did the old grump throw your report back at you?” the guy she shared tables with asked.

“He didn’t even read it all the way through,” she whined.

“Let me guess “this is unacceptable for a first year Pukwudgie let alone a junior auror” or was it “do I need to send you down to the healing wing in case you had a stroke”?”

“Neither, he asked me whether I felt sure I wasn’t destined to be a healer instead with writing like this.” Her disgruntled whinging did make Newt’s lips curl up in a smile but he didn’t appreciate the way they mocked Percival’s tone and expressions. Eyebrows pulled comically low and hands clasped almost in prayer on the table. When his own report was done Newt took it to Percival and came out not three minutes later. He couldn’t help the triumphant little grin he shot to the auror who glowered at him as she worked on rewriting her report.

The first few times it happened Newt was quietly amused by it, the aurors grumbled about Percival being a stickler for rules, for presentation and even timekeeping. However it hit a stage where it became annoying, then downright infuriating. The aurors had huddled around a desk and were bitching yet again.

“He just sits there high and mighty, ordering us about. Doesn’t he ever do any work?”

Newt tried not to let his ire show. If only those idiots knew just how hard Percival worked to make sure they got pay rises, made it home safely from each case they worked on, ensured that there was support for them when cases got too gruelling. Healers specialising in trauma didn’t just turn up at MACUSA hoping for jobs, their pay wasn’t a naturally increasing thing and their safety was definitely not something they should take for granted. The more Newt thought the more his eyes narrowed until one of the aurors looked up and froze. They looked petrified and Newt blinked in surprise. The other aurors looked up at him too and back at their friend who waved their concern off with a puzzled look. It wasn’t conceivable that Newt was glaring at them, it was just a trick of light.

If the junior aurors’ bitching wasn’t bad enough, sometimes the seniors started in too.

“He’s only going away for a week. We know the drill by now, why must he fret?” Fontaine muttered as he leaned against O’Brien’s desk.

“Because he’s an old worrywart, you know how boss gets,” came the reply.

“But we’ve worked here for eight years, he knows we’re capable of taking care of things,” the miffed whining continued. “He was all,” and here Fontaine drew in a deep breath, pulled his shoulders down and was quite obviously exaggerating Percival’s mannerisms as he paced around the desk, “I know the team is very competent, you will be fine but let us go through the week’s objectives so everyone knows what’s what” and then he proceeded to drone on and one for an hour. I could have read and understood it all in five minutes.”

Newt was so close to sarcastically apologising for Percival caring for his team before letting the swooping evil have an easy (if unfulfilling) meal. A hand closed on his shoulder to steady him.

“There are no creatures in Azkaban,” Queenie whispered, “or Percival for that matter.”

Newt took a deep breath and looked down at the crumpled paper in his fist. He was going to have to start the anatomy of a niffler picture again. Another glance up at the two seniors meant he saw them gaping at him. As sweetly as possible he smiled and they awkwardly waved back before scurrying away.

A few weeks later they were all sat around the meeting room table waiting for everyone to turn up. As it so happened the conversation meandered into personal life and Newt really struggled to hold his tongue.

“No offence boss,” Delgado began.

“But you’re going to insult me anyway,” Percival cut in with a sly smile, “so spit it out.”

A nervous titter went up around the table and they all waited with bated breath for Delgado to deliver the scathing remark.

“As I said, no offence but with your, well, persona I am no surprised that you don’t have a significant other.”

“Is that right?” Percival leaned back in his chair with a small grin.

“Well, you’re prickly, a perfectionist with zero tolerance of bullshit and you have very high standards. I don’t think there exists a fool who could live with that. And if they do I’d pity them,” Delgado explained and the whole table quivered with terrified anticipation of the response. Before Percival could reply there was a loud snap and Newt snarled as ink spilled everywhere from the quill that had broken in his grip. Hastily he tried to vanish it away but Percival’s gentle hands wrapped around his wrist and helped clean up.

“They’re not worth it,” Percival looked at him, eyes soft. Newt wanted to reply, to rage but Delgado beat him to it.

“It’s okay Newt, look he knows it we know it. And it’s not like you’re the most eligible bachelor with your creature loving mess of a life.”

Nobody expected Percival to round on Delgado with a fierce growl, hands braced on the table as he towered over the man in rage.

“The fuck did you just say?”

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, yeah, still on tumblr - @ladyoftheshrimp, yawn.


End file.
